Conductive layers can be useful in a variety of electronic devices. These layers can provide a number of functions such as electromagnetic interference shielding and electrostatic dissipation. These layers can be used in many applications including, but not limited to, touch screen displays, wireless electronic boards, photovoltaic devices, conductive textiles and fibers, organic light emitting diodes, electroluminescent devices, and electrophoretic displays, such as e-paper.
Conductive layers can include a network-like pattern of conductive traces formed of metal. The conductive layer can be applied to a substrate as a wet coating which can be sintered to form these networks. However, some substrate materials can be damaged by a sintering process. Additionally, it can be difficult to thermoform articles from the substrates with the conductive layers and conductivity can suffer from substrates which are thermoformed.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a coating layer which can provide strong adhesion between a conductive layer and a substrate, as well as allowing the substrate to be thermoformed without a loss in mechanical properties.